Fuse trips when I switch the light off

I wanted a light in the closet - There is a socket in the closet. I wired frorm the closet receptacle (black to black, white to white) to a single pole switch and from there to a wall mounted light which only has a black and a white connection (no ground on the new ligth socket or the new switch).

The light comes on fine but when I switch it off the fuse trips?

Nothing is touching and I have tried it with and without the ground from the receptacle.

Fuse trips when I switch the light off

You made a mistake in your wiring.

By the way, the neutral wire is not supposed to be connected to any switch terminal. In your case you created a short circuit when you flipped the switch down which is really the on position the way you installed the switch.

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Fuse trips when I switch the light off

You not switching it off you are turning the switch on to trip the fuse. Tell us how you wired the switch.
If you went from the receptacle to the switch to the light then you should only have one black wire on each switch screw and the two whites connected together and NOT to the switch..

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Fuse trips when I switch the light off

I have the black and white from the receptacle (outlet) going to the switch. The switch only has two silver screws for connection.

I then connect the light outlet which is an LH-1P 250W light fitting which screws straight onto the wall.

It has a silver and black - I connect the black cable from the switch to the black screw and the white cable from the switch to the silver screw.

If I understand this right I need the black from the receptacle to go to the switchand from there to the light. The white cable from the receptacle should go directly to the light (silver screw) and then back to the switch?

Fuse trips when I switch the light off

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshine

If I understand this right I need the black from the receptacle to go to the switchand from there to the light. The white cable from the receptacle should go directly to the light (silver screw) and then back to the switch?

This is correct.

__________________(One morning on WRKO Radio) The tub's not clean! Let's remodel the bathroom.
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Fuse trips when I switch the light off

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshine

Why does the earth wire not need to come off the receptacle to the switch and light?.

The bare and/or green earth wires (equipment grounding conductors) are required in cables nowadays and are connected together wherever they come together. In additon the frame (yoke) of the receptacle and the box, if metal, must have one of those wire ends attached to it.

When two wire ends want to go under one screw, cut a short length of wire (pigtail) of the same color and attach it to the screw. Then attach the other end to the other wire ends in question. It is better not to use the hole connections at the back of the receptacle or switch unless there is a clamp inside activated by a screw.

Although circuits without earth wires may continue to exist or may be modernized piecemeal, no additions may be made to those circuits where the path from the new section back to the panel relies on an unmodernized section of wiring.

__________________(One morning on WRKO Radio) The tub's not clean! Let's remodel the bathroom.
(One afternoon on WRKO Radio) It's time for an oil change. I'm going to trade in the car for next year's model.

Fuse trips when I switch the light off

Now I am really confused. A previous post said no earth (bare in my case) should be forwarded from the receptacle to the switch or light. Both the switch and the light and the box holidng the light switch are all plastic throughout?

Could you specify exactly what should connect to what on the earth side please.

Fuse trips when I switch the light off

When the switch has metal tabs to fasten to the box, there is usually a green screw on one of these tabs to attach the earth wire to. Without a green screw you can squash the looped end of the earth wire end between the metal tab and the plastic box when you install the switch in the box.

If there is no screw terminal or metal framework or green wire on the light fixture to attach the cable earth wire to, just curl up the latter in the box for future use. Do not disassemble a switch or light fixture to find metal framework unless the instructions say to do that.

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__________________(One morning on WRKO Radio) The tub's not clean! Let's remodel the bathroom.
(One afternoon on WRKO Radio) It's time for an oil change. I'm going to trade in the car for next year's model.